The Natural landscapes have distinctive
personalities. Each is the product of the interplay of geology,
climate,
vegetation, time, and often, human activities. The landscapes that form
the Santa Catalina Mountains of
southeastern Arizona give that range a unique personality like no other
in the American Southwest.
Rising as a great mountain island to over 9000 feet in elevation at
their summit, Mount Lemmon, the Santa
Catalina Mountains are the greatest expanse of high country within the
Sonoran Desert. An unusual
dome-like profile sets it apart from the numerous, steep,
sharp-crested mountain ranges in the region.
This distinctive profile is a legacy of the range’s remarkable geologic
history and the structure of its bedrock.
Formed miles deep within Earth’s crust before being exhumed, this
ancient structure has guided surface
weathering and erosion for millions of years. The result is a mosaic of
mountain landscapes of singular beauty
and complexity.